Compactor cabinet shield

ABSTRACT

A box-like trash compactor cabinet for containing a trash bag in its lower portion and a compressor ram in its upper portion for compressing trash in the bag. A door covers the lower half of the front of the cabinet, with the upper half of the front of the cabinet, above the door, being open for receiving trash. A horizontal tray-like hopper is arranged above and opens into the bag and is removably supported between the walls of the cabinet just above the upper edge of said door. A rigid closure plate, overlapping the door, has an upper edge portion hingedly connected to the front edge of the hopper and a lower edge provided with a thick, wide, resilient, edge band, with the plate being swingable upwardly to completely close the opening above the door and frictionally locking in said closed position by the compressive frictional engagement of the band with the cabinet portion defining the upper edge of the opening.

United States Patent 1191 Gladvvin I 1111 3,824,920 1451 July 23, 1974 g [22] Filed:

[ COMPACTOR CABINET SHIELD [76] Inventor: Floyd R. Gladwin, P.O. Box 1113,

Southgate, Mich. 4819?.

Jan. 2, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 320,238

Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhite Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Cullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor [57 ABSTRACT A box-like trash compactor cabinet for containing a trash bag in its lower portion and a compressor ram in its upper portion for compressing trash in the bag. A door covers the lower half of the front of the cabinet, with the upper half of the front of the cabinet, above the door, being open for receiving trash. A horizontal tray-like hopper is arranged above and opens into the bag and is removably supported between the walls of the cabinet just above the upper edge of said door. A rigid closure plate, overlapping the door, has an upper edge portion hingedly connected to the front edge of the hopper and a lower edge provided with a thick, wide, resilient, edge band, with the plate being swingable upwardly to completely close the opening above the door and frictionally locking in said closed posiband with the cabinet portion defining the upper edge of the opening.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures *IIIII/I/l/I COMPACTOR CABINET SHIELD BACKGROUND OF INVENTION H The invention herein relates to a trash compactor of the type disclosed, for example, in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,321 issued Apr. 15, 1969 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,475 issued Aug. 1, 1972. Another such type compactor is disclosed in my application Ser. No. 211,299 filed Dec. 23, 1971, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,211 which issued Apr. 10, 1973.

Such type compactors are used for compressing trash and the like into bags by means of compressive rams. The cabinet generally is formed of a box-like cabinet with the bag located in the lower portion and the com-.

pressive ram located above it for selective movement downwardly into the bag for compression of the contents thereof. I

In such type compactors, it is desirable to leave a large portion of the front wall of the cabinet open so that trash may be easily thrown into the receptacle or bag. However, when bottles or cans or other breakable objects are thrown into the compressor, fragments may be ejected when the ram compresses. Thus, the invention herein'relates to the provision of a simplified shield system for closing off the open front of the cabinet during operation of the ram and which shield also functions as a bumper to protect the front of the cabinet during normal operation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention herein contemplates the provision of a simplified, easily handled shield system to close off the open front portion of the compactor cabinet during downward movement of the ram into the trash containing bag within the cabinet. The shield system includes a tray-like hopper arranged horizontally within the compactor cabinet over the top of the bag for guiding trash into the bag as well as holding back ejected particles, and a closure panel hingedly connected to the forward edge of the hopper and normally depending therefrom for overlapping the lower halfof the front of the cabinet. When the ram is in operation, the closure may be swung upwardly to close off the upper portion of the front wall of the cabinet.

The closure is provided on its lower edge with a wide, thick, highly resilient rubber-like bumper or band which normally is positioned horizontally along the lower edge of the front of the cabinet. However, when the closure is swung upwardly for closing the cabinet opening, the bumper or band compresses against the cabinet portion defining the upper edge of the front wall opening and frictionally holds the closure in position.

This system permits easy handling of the closure and the hopper as a unit for removal thereof from the cabinet for opening the lower half front door of thecabinet for access to the trash bag. Additionally, it provides protection for the lower forward portion of the cabinet against bumping, cleaning implements, etc.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following disclosure, of which the attached drawings form a part.

DESCRIBING OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a trash cabinet with the cabinet shield in normal position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cabinet with the shield system removed so that the bag access door may be opened for removal of the bag.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cabinet with the closure in its raised, shielding position.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of arrows 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The drawings illustrate a compactor such as one of those disclosed in my above mentioned patents and which includes a cabinet 11 having sidewalls 12, a rear wall 13, a floor 14 and a roof 15. The forward portion of the cabinet is opened with its lower half closed by a swinging door 16 pivoted at 17 to the cabinet for swinging forwardly and downwardly for access to the interior. The door is provided with a suitable handle or grip 18 for ease'of movement.

Located above the door, near the top of the cabinet is a short depending upper panel 19. Between the panel 19 and the upper edge of the door is a large opening through which trash may be dropped into the cabinet.

A compactor trash bag 20 is located within the lower half of the cabinet behind the door and is suitably mounted by a mounting means such as of the type disclosed in my prior patents mentioned above.

Above the bag and secured to the roof of the cabinet is a hydraulic cylinder 21 containing a ram or compressor 22 which upon actuation moves downwardly into the bag for compressing trash thrown therein. The cabinet may be mounted upon casters 23 so that it may-be moved around as desired.

Additionally, suitable control mechanisms may be provided for actuating the hydraulic cylinder when desired. These controls are omitted as forming no part of the invention herein.

Arranged within the cabinet is a tray-like hopper 25 having-an opening 26 communicating with the bag 20. The hopper is provided with a continuous edge flange 27 which may be supported upon suitable brackets 28 mountedupon the cabinet sidewalls and rear wall. In addition, the forward edge of the hopper may rest upon the upper edge of the door 16 with its forward flange portion in front of the door, covering the'door handle so that the door may not be opened when the hopper is in place.

- A large, rigid closure panel 30 having bent side flanges 31, is arranged in front of the door with the upper edges of the flanges being pivotally secured at 32 to the hopper so that the closure may either hang downwardly from the hopper or be swung into an upwardly position above the hopper where it closes off the opening between the upper edge of the door 16 and the lower edge of the panel 19.

The lower edge of the closure is provided with a large, rubber-like thick resilient bumper or band or tube 33 which extends its full width. When the closure is in its down position, the bumper protects the lower edge ofthe cabinet against accidental bumping, such as by the moving of objects accidentally against the cabinet. When the closure is swung upwardly, the bumper compresses against the lower edge. of the upper panel 19 to. frictionally grasp against it and thereby hold the the door 16 for better holding and protection.

In addition, a suitable control switch 35 may be mounted within the cabinet for contact by one of the side flanges 31 of the closure when the closure is in its up position. This switch may be electrically connected to the hydraulic cylinder control for interrupting power to the control'when the closure 30 is in the down position. When the closure is in the up position, the switch is contacted and turns on the power so that the ram maybe operated. Thus, the closure additionally functions as a safety device. j

In operation, the closure is normally in the downwardly extending position as shown in FIG. 1. However, where the ram is to be operated, particularly for the crushing of bottles and other breakable materials, the closure is raised and thus, in cooperation with the hopper, protects against flying objects such as broken glass.

As illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 4, a box-like support or filler may be positioned with the cabinet to support the bag and effectively reduce its height. This support may be used when heavy objects such as glass bottles are placed into the bag, for thereby reducing the volume, and consequently, the weight of the bag, making it easier to remove and handle the bag. This requires replacing the bag more often, as it is only filled half way, but eliminates a too heavy bag.

Having fully described an operative embodiment of this invention, I now claim:

1. In a compactor cabinet formed in a box-like shape with sidewalls, a floor, a top, a rear wall and a generally open front, and having a trash receiving bag arranged in the lower half of the cabinet above the floor and supported within the cabinet so that its top is roughly at the middle of the cabinet, and with an openable door closing the lower half of the cabinet front so that the front of the cabinet above the door to near the cabinet top is open for receiving trash, and a compressor ram arranged within the cabinet upper half above the bag top for moving downwardly into the bag for compressing trash located therein, the improvement comprising:

a horizontal tray-like hopper removably mounted 4 within the cabinet above the bag top and door top with its front edge portion extending over the door top, the hopper having an opening for guiding trash placed therein into the bag;

a rigid closure plate extending the width of the cabinet, and having an upper edge hingedly secured to and thus supported by the front edge portion of the hopper, with the plate loosely depending therefrom and overlapping the front face of said door; I

a rubber-like, highly resilient band secured along the entire length of the lower edge of said plate and extending therebeneath as a roughly planar lower extension thereof;

said plate being manually swingable'about the hinge securement into a generally vertical position above the hopper and being of a height to completely 7 close off the front wall opening above the door, but with its band compressively fitted and thereby frictionally locked against the cabinet edge portion defining the upper edge of said front wall opening to frictionally lockthe plate in position for completely blocking off the cabinet front opening;

said closure plate and hopper thus being handled as a single unit for installation into and removal from the cabinet and functioning together when the plate'is in its upper position, for blocking off the escape of fragments, such as broken glass flying out of the bag when the ram'is lowered into the bag for compressing, and whereby said band, when the plate is in its lowered position, covers and protects the lower part of the door and the cabinet against impacts.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, and said band being relatively wide and thick to easily compress within and fill the space between the upper edge of the front wall and the closure edge when the closure is swung up.

3. A construction as defined in claim 2, and including a narrow resilient band secured to the closure along its upper edge for resiliently engaging against the adjacent front edge of the hopper, when the closure is raised, as well as lowered, to close any gap between the closure and hopper.

4. A construction as defined in claim 1, and including a removable box-like support positioned within the cabinet, upon the cabinet floor and beneath and supporting the bag for thereby reducingthe height, and

thereby the usable volume and the weight of the bag,

when heavy trash objects are placed within the bag. 

1. In a compactor cabinet formed in a box-like shape with sidewalls, a floor, a top, a rear wall and a generally open front, and having a trash receiving bag arranged in the lower half of the cabinet above the floor and supported within the cabinet so that its top is roughly at the middle of the cabinet, and with an openable door closing the lower half of the cabinet front so that the front of the cabinet above the door to near the cabinet top is open for receiving trash, and a compressor ram arranged within the cabinet upper half above the bag top for moving downwardly into the bag for compressing trash located therein, the improvement comprising: a horizontal tray-like hopper removably mounted within the cabinet above the bag top and door top with its front edge portion extending over the door top, the hopper having an opening for guiding trash placed therein into the bag; a rigid closure plate extending the width of the cabinet, and having an upper edge hingedly secured to and thus supported by the front edge portion of the hopper, with the plate loosely depending therefrom and overlapping the front face of said door; a rubber-like, highly resilient band secured along the entire length of the lower edge of said plate and extending therebeneath as a roughly planar lower extension thereof; said plate being manually swingable about the hinge securement into a generally vertical position above the hopper and being of a height to completely close off the front wall opening above the door, but with its band compressively fitted and thereby frictionally locked against the cabinet edge portion defining the upper edge of said front wall opening to frictionally lock the plate in position for completely blocking off the cabinet front opening; said closure plate and hopper thus being handled as a single unit for installation into and removal from the cabinet and functioning together when the plate is in its upper position, for blocking off the escape of fragments, such as broken glass flying out of the bag when the ram is lowered into the bag for compressing, and whereby said band, when the plate is in its lowered position, covers and protects the lower part of the door and the cabinet against impacts.
 2. A construction as defined in claim 1, and said band being relatively wide and thick to easily compress within and fill the space between the upper edge of the front wall and the closure edge when the closure is swung up.
 3. A construction as defined in claim 2, aNd including a narrow resilient band secured to the closure along its upper edge for resiliently engaging against the adjacent front edge of the hopper, when the closure is raised, as well as lowered, to close any gap between the closure and hopper.
 4. A construction as defined in claim 1, and including a removable box-like support positioned within the cabinet, upon the cabinet floor and beneath and supporting the bag for thereby reducing the height, and thereby the usable volume and the weight of the bag, when heavy trash objects are placed within the bag. 